


Blood and Chocolate

by Hyaluronic



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Creatures, Blood and Violence, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, M/M, Succubus!Quynh, Vampire!Andromache, Werewolf!Nicky, Werewolves, tags to be updated as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29118558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyaluronic/pseuds/Hyaluronic
Summary: After his parents were murdered in the mountains of Colorado, Nicolò was taken in by his Aunt and Uncle and their young son. He has grown-up knowing that his only use to his Uncle’s pack was to be an offering to the Romanian wolves to unify their families. Nicolò has accepted his role, though he’d be loath to admit it, until he meets Yusuf, a certain would be Ph.D candidate, that makes him second guess his role in life and what's expected of him.Or:The Blood and Chocolate AU that no asked for but my brain wouldn’t leave me alone about.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko, Dr. Meta Kozak/Keane, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	Blood and Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> This is the Werewolf!Nicky AU that took over my brain this past week and would not leave me alone until I got it fleshed out and started. This is a work in progress but I do have the outline done and the second chapter started - and, hopefully if everything goes the way it should, this will be around four chapters long. 
> 
> You don't have to have seen the movie or have read the book because while I use them to help structure the plot I don't stick to it for a lot of things.

**Colorado, United States - 2007**

The snow, glistening white and falling like ash in a sea of green, danced on the winter wind before coming to rest gently on top of the frozen ground below, the gathered flakes gleaming from the light of the full moon above and lending a falsity that the night seemed brighter than should be possible. The air was crisp and smelled faintly of the wet pine and burning wood from a chimney a short distance away, smoke rising grey and puffy into the sky from the stone. 

Nicolò grinned at the picturesque winterscape, he loved the feel of the cold against his rosy cheeks and red nose, he sniffled and relished in the prickle of the frigid air against his lungs. The chill sending a jitter through him and the sudden desire to move! He felt free and wild, the winter air feeding his need to jump and run. 

“Nicolò!” 

He turned at the call of his name, a smile on his face and a laugh dancing sweetly from him as he dodged a ball of white. “No fair, Sofia!” 

Nicolò was quick to retaliate, bending swiftly and scooping up a handful of snow, his tiny hands packing it into an oddly shaped ball before pulling back and pitching his snowball forward missing his older sister by inches. 

“You’ll have to do better than that, Nico!” Sofia shouted, her hands working quickly to amass a small armada of snowballs. 

“Dad said no winter warfare!” Another voice piped up from off to the side of them. 

Nicolò and Sofia looked at each other for just a moment, both seeming to come to an unspoken agreement, before turning to their brother and grinning wolfishly. Eldest and youngest quickly worked together to subdue their brother, Nicolò grabbing him around the waist while Sofia quickly shoved a handful of snow down the back of his shirt. 

A shriek echoed through the woods, Sofia and Nicolò both falling to the snow covered ground in a fit of giggles, leaving their poor brother to sweep clumps of white and melted snow from his clothes and skin. “I’m telling mom and dad!” 

“Oh, Mateo, don’t be such a spoilsport!” 

Nicolò nodded at Sofia’s words, “Yeah, Mateo, don’t be such a _goober_!” 

“I’ll show you who’s a goober!” Mateo grabbed a fistfull of snow and sent it arching towards his sister and brother - still situated on the ground - and hitting them in the face. 

“Oh, it’s on like Donkey Kong, little brother.” Sofia declared, already moving to stand before a loud pop and the crack of what sounded like thunder resonated in the distance and echoed through the small clearing, giving her pause for just a second before she stood. 

Sofia turned towards the sound, her arms gripping Mateo tightly and pulling him close while Nicolò rushed to her side, his green eyes wide and unsure and voice trembling as he asked, “What was that?” 

Sofia strained to focus, her ears ringing from the unnatural quiet that seemed to have overtaken the woods around them. There was no chittering of animals or hooting of owls, just an eerie silence that had the hairs on the back of her neck rising in warning. 

“Sof-” Nicolò started only to be cut off when another pop - louder this time - was heard followed by the hollow _thunk_ of something hitting tree bark somewhere behind them. 

Sofia shoved the boys quickly towards their house in the distance, the sound of howls and barking announcing the danger that would soon be on them. “Back inside, now!” 

“Hurry!” She shouted, her feet slipping on a particularly icy patch of ground, sending the teenager crashing unceremoniously to her knees with a yelp. 

Nicolò turned at the cry and made to help her when another shot rang out from behind Sofia, the girl screamed in pain before the echo of the shot dissipated. Sofia waved her brothers on even as she tried to make it to her feet, her trembling hands grasping at the front of her blue coat - a coat that Nicolò could see was quickly turning a dark purple - her feet stumbling over one another in her haste to continue forward. 

Nicolò swallowed wanting to help his sister but too scared to move, even when a fourth shot roared over the burning in his ears, even when he watched his sister fall, the red of her wounds staining the snow beneath her in a morbid halo, even when the bitter twang of silver assaulted his senses, his body still refused to move. He stared in horror at the waxy grey pallor of his sister's face, her amber eyes dulling and the freckles that peppered her cheeks and nose standing out in vivid detail against her skin. He sobbed as he watched black veins slowly inch up her face as she gasped for air one last time before finally stilling. The scent of silver burning his nostrils, mixing with the bitter reek of gunpowder that trailed on the tail of the wind. A sliver of fear snaked down his spine and curled around his stomach when he saw shadows running through the trees in the distance, the high pitched howls giving the darkened forms an almost demonic feel. 

“Nicolò!” 

The shout was the only warning he received before rough hands were picking him up and whisking him away to the safety of their cabin. 

“Quickly, Anna, the coal chute. I’ll hold them off.” 

“Daddy!” Nicolò cried out, his skinny arms reaching over his mother’s shoulder towards the comfort of his father, his eyes wide with fear as his mother carried him and led his brother down the stairs to the basement. 

“It’ll be alright, Nico.” His mother soothed, setting him down and running a comforting hand through his hair, her eyes bright and cheeks wet. “Everything’ll be okay.” 

The sound of barking and guns discharging above them had Anna ushering her remaining children hurriedly to the coal chute. “Nicolò, quickly.” 

“No!” He stubbornly refused, his hands shoving against the cast iron door of the chute and turning to his mother. “What about Daddy!” 

“Nico, now is not the time.” His mother admonished, turning to stare at the basement door when something hard slammed into the wood. “You must go. Mateo and I will be right behind you, if you lose us in the woods, meet us at the diner on the main road. Now, go!” Anna shouted shoving the boy into the coal chute just as the door above splintered. 

Nicolò swallowed down his fear and he hurried through the chute, quickly pushing the door open and hitting the ground running even when the smell of something sour - whether from the flames currently engulfing his home or from the panic rolling off the hunters, he wasn’t sure - drifted from behind him. 

He grabbed at the trunk of a tree when the scream of his mother echoed through the night and the cry of his older brother tore through him like a physical wound. He closed his eyes and gripped the rough bark of the tree, tears leaving an itchy path of cold down his cheeks. He listened to his mother scream once more before being silenced by the sound of gunfire, his body jumping from the loud crack of the shot. Nicolò sobbed, his heart aching painfully at the loss before he shoved away from the tree. 

He had to get away! 

He ran from the frantic shouts of the hunters behind him and the barks of their vicious dogs. Ran from the flames burning his home and towards the unknown comfort the darkened woods would provide. 

He rounded one of the many snow laden pine trees and turned back to stare once more at the darkened silhouettes standing vigil at the flames destroying his home. Nicolò sniffed and scrubbed at his cheeks before turning away and scampering off into the darkness, cold and alone and unsure of what would happen to him. 

**Genoa, Italy - 2021**

“Hello?!” 

Nicky blinked in confusion and rolled his eyes upwards to see a very petite and big chested woman snapping her fingers in front of his face. “Huh?” 

The woman sighed in annoyance and crossed her arms, clearly affronted at the lack of awareness Nicky was showing to her. “I _said_ , I’m here to pick up an order for Parodi.” 

Nicky stood, “O-of course, let me go get that for you.” He said with a placating smile, turning away and looking heavenward for the strength to deal with overly rude customers. He walked through the french doors that opened to the kitchen of the cafe only to see his boss in the middle of licking chocolate from one of the many double boiler pots off her fingers. 

“Pretty sure that’s a health code violation, Andy.” 

“Mmm, and yet we never get tagged for it.” Andy answered with a grin, licking her lips and relishing in the deep creamy texture of the melted chocolate. 

Nicky raised a brow, staring at the slightly pointed eye teeth that peeked out of Andy’s closed mouth and rested snuggly against her rosy lips. “Wonder why that would be.” 

“Don’t know,” Andy said, an air of indifference about her, “they always just seem _so eager_ to give us a clean pass each year.” 

Nicky pursed his lips, the meeting with their last health inspector crossing his mind and all the various high pitched moans he could remember echoing from Andy’s office. “Right.” 

“Ugh, you’re no fun Nicky.” Andy murmured with a roll of the eyes. “So, what’s up kid?” 

“Order for Parodi?” 

Andy _hmm’d_ and shuffled her way over to a rack housing various boxes, “Again? That woman is going to die of a sugar overdose. She’s in here everyday.” 

“Maybe because a certain someone flirts with her _everyday_.” 

Andy plucked a gold box adorned with red ribbon off the metal rack and turned to Nicky, “Nothing goes better with chocolate than a little flirting and a dash of possibility.” 

“Spoken like a true romantic.” Nicky deadpanned, grabbing the box from the older woman with a sigh of exasperation. “Just, maybe don’t hit on the customers or sex up the health inspectors? Besides, what would Quynh say?” 

Andy looked thoughtful for a moment before she replied, “Knowing my darling wife? Probably ask what time to be over and if she should bring anything.” 

Nicky couldn’t help the face he made at the mental image that popped unbidden into his head before he quickly made his exit to the sound of Andy chortling behind him. He handed the elegantly wrapped box of chocolates off to the woman and settled back down against the counter, gaze roaming over the various people outside of the cafe as they passed by; mind drifting. 

He wasn’t sure if it was because of his twenty-first birthday coming up in just a few weeks, or the fact that the anniversary of his family’s passing was just days away but he felt off for some reason. His thoughts were more scattered than normal, causing a warring agitation inside of him that made his skin itch. A feeling he didn’t welcome in any sense, the beast inside of him would seem to agree, if the imagined howl of agreement resounding in his ears like a phantom was anything to go by. 

“Posso ordinare un….caffè espresso a-alla moka?” 

Nicky blinked at the stunted Italian words, nose scrunched at the awful pronunciation, unsure if his daydreaming had made the words sound odd or if it was just the speaker. He looked up and gaped, standing before the counter was a man - seemingly not much older than he - with the deepest locks of dark brown curled tight and shining beautifully in the artificial light of the cafe. Nicky cleared his throat as his eyes travelled down to see a faint dusting of freckles across the bridge of the man’s nose and a crinkle of mirth - or nervousness, he supposed - framing a beautiful set of mahogany colored eyes and a sleek bristle of stubble hiding the man's jaw from view and accentuating his mouth. 

“Hi…?” Nicky murmured dumbly, moving to stand awkwardly, his hands rubbing against the ruby colored apron tied around his waist. 

“Hi?” The unknown man parroted back with the tilt of his head. “Caffè?” 

“Uh, Yes! I mean, yes, one second.” Nicky replied in English and looked from the man towards the coffee products that lined the counter behind him, a frazzled air about him as something shivered down his spine. His baser instincts seemingly enjoying the sight of the stranger before him. 

“Parla inglese?” 

Nicky grabbed a glass cup from under the counter and nodded, “Yes.” 

A quick whisper of praise drifted from the man when Nicky turned and asked, “And you?” 

The man bobbed his head, “Yes, English. My Italian is very basic, uh, I am working on it though.” 

“You sound like my younger cousin.” Nicky said, working idly to make the sweetened chocolate coffee. “And he’s five.” 

“Ah,” The man murmured, a blush tinging his cheeks. “Then I have much improved from yesterday when I spoke Italian like that of a wee babe of two.” 

Nicky laughed quietly at the words, setting the cup of coffee on the counter and stood there for a second staring at the man before the stranger coughed and asked about payment. 

“Oh, uhm, here’s your ticket you just pay after.” Nicky quickly grabbed said paper and handed it over just as the bell to the cafe trilled. 

“Cousin!” 

Nicky winced at the overly cheerful greeting of his older cousin and watched while the sandy blonde slung an arm around the customer Nicky had just served and wrinkled his nose at the overly sweet smell of chocolate and coffee, “Horrible choice, my lad, that isn’t coffee.” 

“What do you want Merrick?” Nicky asked in exasperation, “I’m helping a customer.” 

Merrick grinned and patted their poor stranger on the chest, “You’re all good, ya?” 

“Actually, I was-” 

“Great, now scurry along, family business.” Merrick interrupted, none too gently pushing the man away from the register and towards the door, waving and mouthing a silent _good-bye_ when the stranger turned to look at Nicky in confusion before he made his way back onto the street with his coffee in hand, white paper in the other. 

“You’re paying for that.” Nicky said, arms crossed and gaze annoyed. 

“Oh come off it, cousin, I’ll pay for the damned drink.” Merrick jumped up onto the counter to sit, “Auntie just wanted me to stop by and tell you the good news!” 

There was a clunk from the kitchen that Nicky realized Andy was making to make sure he understood she was around if he needed her. He appreciated the gesture and for all his hot headedness and air of superiority, his cousin would never do anything to harm him; humiliate him yes, but never willingly do anything to hurt him. 

“Keane’s on his way back home. Apparently, he’s finalized the negotiations with the Romanian pack.” 

He couldn’t help the flinch that the words produced. Another reason he probably felt off. His father had been brother to Keane, and while Merrick would one day inherit Keane’s pack - as Keane’s only male heir - when the time came, Nicky would be the fodder to broker security for another packs' allegiance; The Romanian pack of Bucharest, it would seem. 

“Don’t be like that, this is cause for celebration, cousin dearest!” Merrick shouted happily, slinging his arm around Nicky and pulling him close “You’re finally engaged!And I truly can’t wait to see you bend over and show off that precious tail of yours to the Romanians, hopefully they’ll make a proper bitch of you.” 

Nicky gripped Merricks hand tight and twisted, shoving his other hand against the back of his cousin's head. “And I can’t wait to see you do the same when your time comes, _cousin_.” 

Merrick jerked free with a guffaw, “See you tonight, Nico.” 

The bell above the door jingled at Merrick’s departure, leaving Nicky to stand at the counter, his eyes flashing a brilliant green in anger. He took a couple of breaths to try and ease the heat he could feel burning in his chest. A few more controlled breaths helped to calm the agitation gnawing at his nerves, the feeling leaving his hands clenched at his sides and arms trembling as he fought against the sudden need to _move_. 

“Nicky?” 

He turned to look over his shoulder to see Andy leaning against the frame of the kitchen doors, arms crossed and a pensive look on her face. He dropped his gaze to the floor before turning to look back at the doors of the cafe with a sigh. _”Fuck.”_

O~Oo~o~oO~O 

With a sigh Nicky leaned back against the back of his barstool, blinking his eyes closed. If there was one thing he absolutely loved about his hometown was the active nightlight. The frenetic energy of the swaying bodies and the rhythmic music that allowed him to get lost in the hypnotic beats and deep vibrations, his heart beating in tandem with the melody and letting his mind calm and allowing his body to just feel - a chance to just _be_. 

“So, a vampire walks into a bar.” 

Nicky groaned at the horrible start of the joke and cracked his eyes open to see Andy slipping into the barstool beside him. “A bar joke, really Andromache?” 

“No, hear me out, it’s a good one!” Andy promised, fingers up in Scouts Honor. “So a vampire walks into a bar.” 

Nicky sighed, “Okay?” 

“The vampire orders a shot of the bar's finest blood.” Andy said with a mischievous grin, winking down the counter to where Nicky could see Quynh tying her apron on. “And the bartender says only if it’s out of my belly button.” 

“ _Ugh_ ” Nicky shook his head and turned his attention away from Andy and the proud look on her face to the dance floor where he caught sight of a woman in red swaying her hips back and forth suggestively to the music blaring overhead. “You know, you and Quynh can keep your bedroom life private and I would be very much okay with that.” 

“That would be such torture for Andromache.” 

Nicky looked over his shoulder to see Quynh smiling seductively at Andy, the two older women’s hands intertwined and eyes bright from the sheer adoration they had for one another. Nicky looked down at the bar top for just a second before turning back to watch the dance floor, a twinge of jealousy constricting his chest. He wondered what it must feel like to be so devoted to someone that the world around you narrowed into nothing more than a wordless love poem between you and your other half written in nothing more than emotion and sensation. 

“See anything you like, Nicolò?” 

Nicky shook his head, watching as Merrick and his brood swaggered their way onto the dance floor, his cousin headed straight for the woman in the red dress, while Merricks friends hung back to watch. “Just here to drink, Quynh.” 

“Or,” He heard Andy start beside him, a sense of amusement in her words, “are you looking for someone specific? A certain tall, dark, and handsome stranger from the coffee shop?” 

“Oh!” Quynh exclaimed, as a blush crept over his cheeks when he felt her hand run across his shoulders, “Do tell, I bet he was someone very debonair, with an air of mystery about him perhaps?” 

“He was a tourist who just happened to have good taste in coffee.” Nicky explained with a snicker when he saw the woman in red had slapped Merrick and pushed him away with a shake of her head. 

“American?” Quynh asked, her hands fiddling with the hair at the base of his neck, her eyes an unnatural amber. Nicky turned back to her with narrowed eyes when he felt a fluttering feeling of longing slowly creep through him. 

“Stop.” He warned, “And, he spoke English, but no. I don’t think so.” 

Quynh’s eyes faded back to her normal brown with a pout, her hand falling away to rest on the bartop. “You are just absolutely no fun, Nicolò.” 

“You and Andy just had sex and there’s a literal club full of over emotional twenty-somethings, you don’t need me to help fill you up.” Nicky grumbled, watching Merrick and his groupies head their way. “Beside here come the _Frustrated Five_.” 

Merrick slammed a few bills on the bar and demanded a round of drinks. 

Nicky smiled mockingly, “Don’t give up, Merrick. I think she likes you.” 

At Merrick’s snarl, Andy coughed and excused herself, moving behind the bar to help Quynh make the drinks. 

“I could see a real future there.” 

His cousin whirled on him at his words with a smile that was all teeth, “So sweet of you to say, cousin.” 

“A ring, church wedding - if you didn’t catch flames upon entering - all her family would show. And, then.” Nicky murmured, leaning forward eagerly. “For the reception? You would slaughter them all.” 

His cousin closed his eyes, most likely envisioning the whole ordeal with a smile of pleasure spreading across his features. “It would be such a magical event.” A moan burbled past his lips at the words. 

“Truly the picturesque vision of a relationship.” Nicky said in disgust as Quynh and Andy set five shots of Absinthe down in front of his cousin and his four lackey’s. 

“To you, Nicolò, the pup that will unify the two greatest wolf packs in all the world.” Merrick raised his shot in a toast, his friends doing the same, before downing the green alcohol. Nicky closed his eyes against the thunks of the empty shot glasses hitting the bar. 

“Can’t wait for the coming nuptials, Nico. Don’t forget to hang the sheets out the window.” Merrick whispered, slapping a firm hand on Nicky’s bicep before whirling his finger to round up his friends and walking away. 

“Nicky.” Quynh whispered, her hand reaching out to comfort but stopping at the shake of his head. 

“A shot, please.” 

O~Oo~o~oO~O 

Hours later, after Quynh and Andy had poured him more shots than he cared to count, Nicky stumbled his way down one of the many lamp lit streets with a giggle. The late night air doing nothing to clear his head as he stumbled over his sneakers with a snort, his head falling back to stare up at the star scattered sky, the steeple of the city's church a darkened shadow towering over the street. Nicky sniffed and rubbed at his nose, he remembered spending many Sunday mornings standing in the pews with the rest of his family during mass, the sun a sweltering light that shined bright through the stained glass windows, casting an array of colors across the priest and the church's patrons. 

Nicky sighed, shoulder’s sagging while he focused on an opened window high above him. Nostalgia and the faint need to be somewhere that reminded him of family and home pushed him forward towards the stone of the church and up till he was crawling through the window and landing with a deep thud on his ass, a light huffy laugh bubbling from him at his clumsiness. 

He stood and looked around the wooden choir pews and ran his fingers over the varnished wood of the church organ, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he leaned over to stare at the altar down below. Nicky took a deep breath and scrunched his forehead, the woody aroma of charcoal and lead drifting up and tickling his senses. He looked towards where the smell was coming from and gasped bending down to hide behind the small balcony wall when he saw the shadow of someone. He hissed when in his haste he accidently knocked against the church organ, causing a low vibration to ring out through the church, the deep tone rattling through his ears and sending a spike of pain shooting through his head that had him grimacing. 

_”Hello? Is there somebody there?”_

Nicky winced, “Is somebody there? You are asking me?” 

The sound of shuffling papers and the squeak of shoes against marble had Nicky standing and looking back over the edge of the low wall to see a darkened form gathering various papers and supplies into his arms. The stench of fear overpowering the ashy smell of charcoal dust and wood pulp. 

_“Since when are places such as this locked?”_

Nicky quickly moved to the stairs and fumbled his way down the steps, hesitating at the bottom, watching the unknown man sling his rucksack onto his shoulders and head towards the heavy wooden doors. 

“This is a sacred place. Protected. Not meant for outsiders.” He explained, stepping out of the safety of the door frame just as the stranger opened the wooden doors, the updraft of the wind from outside sweeping the papers from his hold and scattering them across the marbled floor. Nicky swallowed against the sloshing of his stomach as he leaned down to pick up one of the various sheets of paper, blinking at the shadowed forms of men and wolves sketched across the white sheet. 

“I didn’t steal anything.” The man defended himself, shoes squeaking against the floor as he turned to pick up his papers. “I saw the stained glass windows on my walk this afternoon and I just had to find a way in to sketch them.” 

Nicky ignored the statement, looking curiously at the charcoal lines and touching the intricately drawn shapes on the paper. “What is this?” 

“Oh, umm, they are figure sketches for my thesis…?” The man tried to explain, “I am here to research the legend of Loup Garou.” 

Nicky finally looked up from the paper, curious. “You mean werewolves?” 

“Not as you and I would think of them.” The stranger said with a sigh and stood turning to Nicky before gasping, “Hey, the barista from the cafe!” 

“The tourist who dined and dashed.” 

“In all fairness, it was more _dined and shoved._ ” Gentle hands softly slipped the paper from Nicky’s grasp with a smile, “Yusuf Al-Kaysani, hopeful Ph.D candidate for Classical Studies in Art and Antiquity in Ancient Rome.” 

“And trespasser.” Nicky commented, wryly, crossing his arms. 

“Unfortunately.” Yusuf agreed and cleared his throat with a nod, his gaze flitting about the many stained glass windows of the church depicting wolves fighting men, “I do apologize but I had heard there were places such as this. Places where wolves were revered almost as deities, but, in truth, I did not think they meant quite so literally.” 

Nicky hummed thoughtfully and rocked back on his feet,“I thought werewolves were monsters, though? Beasts to be feared and hunted?” 

“They aren’t monsters, at least, not in the legends I’ve researched here.” Yusuf explained, hugging his drawings tightly to his chest. 

“What do you believe them to be then?” 

Yusuf shrugged, “The best of man, the best of beast. A kind of shapeshifter, I suppose. Until they were killed by those less understanding, or so the legend goes.” 

Nicky nodded, swallowing when his stomach protested the movement. “So, your paper.” 

“Thesis.” Yusuf corrected. 

“Right, _thesis_ , it’s about these men who would be wolves?” 

“It is actually about the myth acting as a portrayal of the darkest parts of the human psyche manifested into physical form and serving as a both a warning and an excuse for those who erred from the Roman way of life.” 

Nicky quirked an eyebrow at that, “But I thought you said these werewolves weren’t monsters.” 

“Here, they are not. Kind of putting a damper on my thesis.” Yusuf explained with a chuckle, “All the research I have done here has been quite the opposite. Might have to completely redo my paper.” 

“ _Thesis._ ” He reminded Yusuf with a smirk. 

“Right.” Yusuf smiled, before gesturing to the empty church, “So, were you hiding out here or something? Should I be looking over my shoulder for a disgruntled lover?” 

“Actually, I was just leaving.” Nicky explained and started forward only to stumble when his foot slipped on an errant paper still on the ground, wincing when Yusuf quickly grabbed his bicep and forearm to steady him, a flood of warmth radiating from the points of their shared contact. A spicy aroma - almost like clove - drifted from Yusuf and sent a shiver through him, a grumble starting low in his throat. 

“Are you alright?” 

With a nod, Nicky moved out of Yusuf’s grip with a deep breath to calm himself. “I might have possibly had too many shots.” 

“Right, then. Just let me...and I can.” Yusuf quickly dropped his rucksack onto the floor and as delicately as he could shoved his drawings into the sack. 

Nicky didn’t wait before making a quick exit, his heart hammering and arm tingling from where Yusuf’s firm hands had gripped him. He was down the steps and around the corner before he heard the faint call for him to wait, a smile gracing his features as he continued on his way home.

**Author's Note:**

> So nervous about how this turned out, any input is much appreciated! And, as always, thank you all for taking the time to read! :) 
> 
> Italian Used:  
> Posso ordinare un….caffè espresso a-alla moka? - I can order a...mocha espresso coffee?  
> Parla inglese - Speak English?


End file.
